


All I Want For Christmas

by CynicalPudding



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: (oh my god they were roommates), Adopted Rey (Star Wars), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist Ben Solo, Christmas Story, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Going home for the holidays, Hallmark Movie AU, Lawyer Hux, M/M, Merry Christmas, More Star Wars Smut, Rey Solo, Solo Organa Family Problems, Tell me what you think, and they were roommates!, awkward family christmas, literally fight me, possible multi-chapter fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:40:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21975232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CynicalPudding/pseuds/CynicalPudding
Summary: Hux hated Christmas.He hated the songs the other children at his school would sing, he hated the gaudy decorations everybody would have hung up by the very first day of December, he hated being forced to sit through someone’s excited retelling of their fantastic day filled with gifts and love and joy while he himself never had anything to share.But when his roommate Kylo Ren begs him to travel across the country to attend his family’s train wreck of a Christmas with him for the purpose of keeping him sane, how can he refuse?
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 109
Kudos: 280





	1. Chapter 1

Hux hated Christmas. 

He’d made that decision early on as a child growing up in the middle of nowhere Ireland.

He hated the songs the other children at his school would sing, he hated the gaudy decorations everybody would put up by the very first day of December; he hated being forced to sit through someone’s excited retelling of their fantastic day filled with gifts and love and joy while he himself never had anything to share. 

He tried to push away those bitter thoughts as he trudged through the frigid streets of New York, nodding politely as someone held open the door of the cafe he was heading toward. He ducked inside, dusting snow off of his expensive grey peacoat and wiping his shoes on the runner.

He searched the place for only a moment before finding the familiar towering figures of his two companions, promptly making his way toward them. 

Phasma was dressed smartly, as always, in an immaculate white coat, red scarf, well fitted black slacks, and shiny black boots. She made for an especially intimidating figure. 

Ren was a different story. He looked as if he’d raced there straight from his workshop, his black jeans ripped in several places and splattered in paint, his boots in a similar state of disrepair. And his large puffy orange coat was an absolute eyesore, especially paired with the offensively ugly red Christmas sweater he wore beneath it. 

“Must you always look like you’ve just rolled out of bed and directly into paint?” he shot toward Ren as he came to stand beside Phasma. 

He hummed his thanks as she wordlessly handed him his typical coffee order. The warmth of it made his skin tingle beneath his leather gloves. 

“So sorry, your highness. Not all of us can afford the finery  _ you _ prefer,” Ren replied as Hux took a long sip of the piping hot liquid. 

“I concede that specific point, but your economic status is absolutely no excuse for that…  _ thing _ ,” he said, motioning to the overly festive sweater with a look of disgust, eyes fixing on the red felt ball protruding from the fabric to create the nose of the poorly crafted reindeer face. 

“You know, you’re oddly obsessed with Christmas for someone who’s Jewish.”

Ren rolled his eyes, loudly sipping the whipped cream from the top of his large hot chocolate. 

Hux and Kylo Ren had been roommates for about five years now. It had been Phasma who’d introduced them, having found Ren’s artwork over craigslist of all places. She’d contacted the young artist, fresh out of college, to purchase a few of his pieces for hers and Hux’s shared office, but they’d ended up becoming friends, talking regularly for a few weeks before Phasma had found out, to her horror, that Ren was living in a rundown hostel with only his art supplies and the clothes on his person. 

She’d gotten the two of them together shortly after that, and now Ren lived rent free in Hux’s penthouse apartment so long as he cooked and cleaned. 

Hux recalled the look on the artists face when he’d first seen where he’d be living. He’d nearly dropped his ratty old dufflebag just looking at the outside of the Finaliser Luxury Apartment building. When he’d opened the door to his apartment on the top floor, Ren’s mouth had dropped open in absolute wonder, eyes taking in everything from the rich mahogany flooring to the immaculate white walls, the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city, the large ice blue sofa, the flatscreen television, the spiraling staircase that led up to a loft overlooking the enormous living area, the entirely too large and completely unused kitchen.

He’d been quick to make himself at home, his jars of paint and canvases slowly beginning to take up every room in the apartment before Hux had finally allowed him half of his own study to work in if only to minimize the growing clutter in his living room.

He’d never admit it, but he found working while Kylo painted beside him to be quite relaxing. 

Hux tuned back into his surroundings as his companions led him toward their usual table. They all three shed their coats in the warmth of the crowded cafe, Ren and Phasma continuing their conversation from before Hux had arrived. 

“I think you should go, Kylo,” she said sagely as she took a sip of her earl grey tea. “Not many people get the opportunity to fly home for the holidays.”

“No. You don’t know my family, Phas. There’s a reason I moved across the country,” Ren stated, vehemently shaking his head. 

“Of course I don’t know your family. You never say a word about them,” Phasma said pointedly. 

“There’s a reason!”

“Ren,” Hux interjected in warning as the other man’s voice grew louder, a few surrounding patrons glancing toward their table. The man frowned moodily, slumping his broad shoulders a bit as if trying to make himself smaller. 

“I’m just not ready for another round of my family judging my life choices; asking me if I’m  _ still  _ an artist,  _ still _ single,  _ still _ a disappointment.”

Hux remembered the aftermath of Ren’s last visit home over four years ago. How he’d returned to their apartment in a state of utter despair, locking himself in his bedroom for a week. When he’d finally emerged, hair tangled and unwashed, eyes red rimmed, face pale and solemn; the silence from him was almost more unnerving than his prolonged isolation. 

Ren normally took great pleasure in making as much noise as possible while Hux attempted to work, whistling or humming as he painted, babbling about everything and nothing, asking prying questions that Hux would only half answer as he tried to stay focused. After a week with his family, Ren was utterly silent, his deep brown eyes lifeless and dull. 

After two weeks of the unnerving behavior, Hux had taken the situation into his own hands. He’d ordered an obscene amount of food from Kylo’s favourite Mexican restaurant, rented several of his favourite movies, and piled his couch high with an ungodly amount of plush pillows and fluffy blankets. 

The small smile that had broken across Ren’s morose face had been completely worth the effort as they sat and watched a ridiculous amount of Christmas movies Hux would only suffer through for him. 

“Will your entire family be there?” Hux inquired as he came back to himself, picking a stray orange cat hair off of his otherwise pristine black turtleneck with a frown.

“I don’t think my uncle will make it, but pretty much everyone else will. And I’m just not ready for that absolute train wreck.”

The subject was dropped after that, Hux and Phasma going on to discuss work at their law firm, Phasma asking after Ren’s recent projects, Hux continuing to critique Ren’s questionable wardrobe choices down to the absolutely reprehensible use of googly eyes. 

After a solid hour, the three of them stood to make their way out of the warm cafe before it closed, pulling their coats tightly around themselves. Phasma planted a quick parting kiss on Hux’s cheek, ruffling Ren’s black locks much to the other man’s annoyance as she climbed into the cab she’d hailed. 

“Did you take a cab here?” Hux questioned, glancing to Ren with a hand over his brow to block the flurry of snowflakes from his eyes. 

“Had to. Trying to ride a motorcycle through this would be suicide,” Kylo replied, rubbing his hands together. They were already turning red from the cold. 

Hux rolled his eyes at the man’s lack of gloves.

How typical. 

“Riding a motorcycle in New York  _ is _ suicide,” he said as he stepped forward, flagging down a cab which they quickly climbed into, reveling in the warmth it provided. 

“The Finaliser on Ilum Street,” Hux recounted automatically, their driver nodding and setting off. 

Hux grimaced as the familiar melody of Jingle Bell Rock played over the radio, bluntly asking that the music be shut off for the remainder of the ride. He ignored the driver’s furrowed brow, followed by the positively aggressive way he hit the button to turn off the radio. 

Sighing to himself, he sat back and watched the city pass by outside the window, frowning deeply at every cheesy plastic reindeer or inflatable Santa Claus. 

He hated Christmas. 

………

“And she already bought the fucking plane tickets! Can you believe that? So now if I don’t go,  _ I’m _ the asshole that made my mom fork out a ton of money for a ticket just to blow her off!”

Hux half listened as Ren paced about his office, gesticulating wildly as he ranted about the newest updates in his family drama. He seemed to get angrier and angrier as he spoke and Hux knew he’d work himself up into a frenzy if he didn’t interceed soon. 

With a heavy sigh he saved the draft of his weekly report and pushed himself back from his desk, turning to face the other man as he neared his tantrum level of anger. 

“If you’re so concerned, just go. It’s been four years since your last visit. Perhaps things have changed?” he offered blandly, realising that was decidedly the wrong thing to say as Ren’s intense gaze snapped toward him. 

“No no no. Things  _ never _ change. The second I walk through the door it’ll be another endless barrage of my mom asking me  _ again _ why I chose art college over the University she picked for me and if I’m  _ finally _ seeing someone or still alone like I have been for the past seven years. My dad will immediately go into criticizing my hair and my clothes, telling me how much better than me my sister is doing even though she’s  _ ten fucking years _ younger than me. Nothing  _ ever _ changes with them. Mom says they miss me, but they don’t. They have Rey and  _ Poe _ . They’re more than fine without their disappointment child.”

Hux waited patiently for Ren’s outburst to end, watching the other man pull at his hair and stomp around. His lip curled in distaste as he realised Ren was still wearing his filthy old boots, trailing dust and paint chips on the carpet with every dramatic step, but he held back the urge to tell him off for it out of consideration for his breakdown. 

“I don’t know what to tell you,” he finally sighed, standing from his office chair and making his way down the spiral staircase. Ren followed close behind. 

“I thought you knew everything,” he retorted sarcastically. Hux rolled his eyes at the playful jab, thankful at least that the other man wasn’t too upset not to make fun of him any chance he got. 

“I do, but this is one of the very few situations I cannot help you with. You’re one of those sick people who adores the Holidays. You need to figure out for yourself whether the discomfort of the week will be worth it to spend the holiday with your family rather than alone in the apartment watching every Die Hard movie on repeat while I’m at work.”

“I don’t  _ just _ watch Die Hard. I bought the Home Alone movies last year,” Kylo grumbled under his breath. 

The man frowned in thought as they entered the kitchen, silently watching Hux as he pulled out their leftovers from the night before. He pulled himself onto one of the stools at the island, leaning his elbows on the counter as he stretched the sleeves of his hole riddled black sweater over his large hands. 

“Hux, we’re friends, right?” he suddenly asked. 

Hux froze momentarily in his movements, hands holding tightly to the plates he’d removed from the cupboard as he slowly turned toward his companion. 

“I suppose,” he said, placing the plates onto the marble counter to dish out Ren’s leftover lasagna. 

He took his own helping to the microwave oven, heating it up as Ren grabbed a fork and took a large cold bite of his.

“Though I’m not entirely sure how it turned out that way,” he added, cringing as a clump of ricotta gushed down the front of Ren’s sweater, going entirely unnoticed as the man continued to eat. 

“And being friends for five whole years,” he nevertheless continued through a mouthful of food. “You would think we’d have met each other's families by now, right?”

“No,” Hux replied firmly with absolutely no hesitation. “No no no. No.”

………

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried so hard to get this out in time for Christmas, but I just couldn’t swing it.
> 
> Let me know if this is something you’d like me to continue!
> 
> Happy Holidays!
> 
> ~Cynical


	2. Chapter 2

Hux honestly had no idea how he found himself packing a bag for a last minute trip across the country to attend Kylo’s train wreck of a family Christmas. He suspected Phasma had something to do with it, being that the moment she heard the proposed plan she organised their entire workload for the week around his absence so he would have absolutely no convenient excuses. 

He went over his checklist, ticking off each accounted for item; six dress shirts, three sweaters, six pairs of slacks, two undershirts, seven pairs of underwear, his pyjamas, his carefully packaged toiletries in their appropriate plane approved containers, and snacks for the flight that Kylo would inevitably devour most if not all of. 

Satisfied with his preparedness, he zipped up his neatly packed carry on, taking it out of his room and down the spiral staircase to set it next to the front door. He frowned at the absence of Ren’s bag, turning to make his way down the hall toward the other man’s room. He rapped his knuckles sharply against the door three times, waiting for a response. 

“What,” a muffled voice called from the other side. Hux rolled his eyes and opened the door, coughing from the overwhelming scent of incense that assaulted his nostrils. 

“Are you  _ trying _ to burn my apartment down?” he questioned, fanning the air in front of his face in an attempt to ease the smell. 

“No. I’m  _ trying _ to meditate,” Kylo stated matter of factly from his cross legged position on the very small patch of floor that was clear of dirty clothes and art supplies. 

“Meditate?” Hux repeated incredulously from the doorway, crossing his arms as he leant against the frame. 

“Yes,” Kylo responded through clenched teeth. “It helps me to manage my anger and stress. Or at least it  _ was _ .”

“Well, do you know what helps me to manage  _ my _ anger and stress?” Hux offered, Kylo glancing up at him through his tangled locks with obvious curiosity. 

“When you have your fucking bag packed and ready for our flight that we leave for in thirteen hours, you absolute child!”

“Thirteen?!” Ben exclaimed, all relaxation he’d managed to covet from his so called meditation flying out the window. “Hux our flight isn’t until 11:00 tomorrow!”

“Yes, our flight is at 11:00, but we’re getting to the airport at 9:30. Accounting for the traffic, we’ll need to leave here at 8:00. Or should we go earlier?”

Ren threw back his head and let out a dramatic groan.

“Oh stop being so melodramatic you overgrown toddler,” Hux said, entering the room, careful to avoid impaling his foot on a wayward knitting needle, and grabbing Ren’s torn up old dufflebag. 

Ren looked positively affronted at his comment as Hux tossed the bag onto his bed. 

“Pack now or I won’t give you any of the snacks I bought for the trip.”

Ren’s lower lip jutted out in a genuine pout as he rose from his cross legged position, storming over to his dresser. Hux watched as he searched through the messy drawers, occasionally removing one of his least stained articles of clothing and tossing it over his shoulder haphazardly in the vicinity of the open dufflebag. 

He disappeared into his bathroom, Hux jumping back in surprise as a hairbrush and a toothbrush came flying out, both in turn landing perfectly inside the bag. 

“There,” Ren said as he emerged from his bathroom, motioning to the bag. “Happy?”

Hux glanced down across the messy pile around the bag, giving Ben a look of utter annoyance. Wordlessly, he reached down to pluck up a threadbare black t-shirt, looking it over. 

“You are _not_ wearing a t-shirt that says ‘Eat Pussy, Not Animals,’ to your Family Christmas.”

“Ok we’ll take that one out, then,” Ben huffed, crossing over to stand beside the bed. He snatched the shirt out of Hux’s hand, tossing it carelessly onto the floor. 

“Why do you have so many cheesy slogan t-shirts?” Hux inquired as he looked through the pile, picking up another and reading the words with a quirked brow. 

“‘I feel like 2007 Britney’. What does this mean to you?”

Ren took that shirt from him as well, dropping it to the floor with little consideration. 

“There was a clothing donation drive at the hostel I was staying in. It was mostly kids and women's plus size clothing, but I had only one shirt at the time, so I took whatever fit,” Kylo said with a shrug, beginning to shove the rest of what he’d chosen into the bag. 

Hux smacked his hands away, removing what he’d messily stuffed in and going about folding it properly. 

Ren watched him with an odd expression, silent and still for a short moment before reaching out to help Hux fold his clothes. 

Once they’d finished, Hux placed everything neatly into the dufflebag, raising an eyebrow as he glanced up toward Ren. 

“Are you not packing any underwear?”

Ren’s lips stretched into a small smirk, brown eyes twinkling with mischief. 

“After seeing my immaculate shirt collection, do you really think I own any?”

Hux blinked, taking in a deep breath through his nose. 

“You’re disgusting.”

………

“And you’re certain you’re alright taking care of her for the week, Phas? Have you cat-proofed your apartment? Oh, did I remember to pack her favorite toy?” Hux rambled over the phone as he and Ren wove their way through the busy airport toward their terminal. 

He had been absolutely right to be concerned about arriving there early. The crowd would have been nearly impossible to get through had it not been for Kylo, his build and intimidating gait enough to make people nearly dive out of his way as Hux followed closely behind him. 

“Good. Thank you again Phasma. And remember to rub the prescribed ointment onto her left back paw every morning. And-“

Hux let out an indignant sound as Ren plucked his phone out of his hand, putting it to his own ear. 

“Thanks. Bye Phas,” he said before hanging up and handing the phone back.

Hux glared at the back of his head, shoving his phone into the pocket of his peacoat as they arrived at their terminal just as they were beginning to board. Hux stepped aside to allow the people with First Class tickets in front of him, his brows rising as Ren shot him a vaguely annoyed glance and grabbed his wrist, pulling him along behind him. 

“Ren, this is when First Class bo-“

“I know, Hux. I’m not a complete idiot,” he snapped back as they ascended the stairs, boarding the plane. Hux followed Ren, a bit bewildered as the other man led him to two rather large seats at the back of the First Class cabin, a stewardess approaching to help Kylo tuck away his dufflebag in the overhead compartment. 

“Good afternoon Gentlemen! My name is Robin. Is this your…” she paused, eyes sweeping over Ben’s ripped up paint stained black hoodie and jeans though the overly large smile never left her face. “ _ -first _ time flying with us in First Class?”

A frown stretch across Ren’s lips as he reclined in his seat, tired eyes locked with the openly judgemental woman. 

“Nope,” he answered dismissively, turning away with a yawn. 

Hux held back a laugh as the woman nodded awkwardly, taking the dismissal as it was intended and walking away to greet the other people filing into the cabin. 

“So…  _ how _ exactly are we in First Class?” Hux said quietly as Ren pulled his hood over his face, settling comfortably in his seat. 

“My mom usually springs for First Class when she buys my plane tickets. She knows I don’t fit very comfortably in the regular seats,” he responded easily, utterly relaxed as he stretched out his long legs. 

Hux didn’t question him further, settling back himself as he waited for their journey to begin. He ordered a vodka and soda from the concession cart, making sure to get Ren a chocolate milk. The man gave a grunt of approval at that, taking the offered bottle in both sleeve covered hands and raising his seat to drink it. 

“Thank you,” he murmured lowly after draining almost half of the bottle. 

He was surprised the other man could even form coherent sentences at this time. Hux was not a morning person by any means. Kylo would say he was always two steps from murder until he got his daily dose of coffee. Kylo  _ was _ a morning person in the sense that when Hux was waking up at 5:00 am to get ready for work, Kylo was still awake from the night before, working on whatever painting or sculpture needed his attention at the time. 

Their morning had turned into a routine of Hux dragging himself out of bed, down the stairs, and to the kitchen to drink the coffee Ren had brewed for him. 

They would eat breakfast together in their office, Hux reading over his agenda for that day while Ren worked diligently beside him. When Hux would leave for work, Kylo would head to bed, waking up just in time for Hux to return that evening so they could have dinner together. 

It was a rather pleasant arrangement, beneficial to them both. Hux had long grown used to the all encompassing scent of oil paints just as Ren had gotten used to Hux’s stony silence in the mornings, simply chattering away toward him, not expecting an answer. 

Hux snapped out of his thoughts as he glanced out of the window, realising that at some point while he was lost in thought, they’d taken off. 

Finishing his drink, he pulled out a pair of noise cancelling headphones from the pocket on the back on the seat in front of him, putting them on and settling back.

Ren had already fallen asleep, his hood pulled over his face and his mouth hanging open. Hux glanced down to see his empty bottle of chocolate milk uncapped and still in his hand. 

He rolled his eyes, taking the bottle from him and screwing on the cap. 

“Overgrown toddler.”

………

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your lovely comments! I really didn’t expect just how well received this would be!
> 
> My uploads might be a little weird because I’m in the process writing another very long multi-chapter kylux fic while I’m writing this one.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> ~Cynical


	3. Chapter 3

The flight had been six and a half hours of utter boredom on Hux’s end. Kylo had napped through the first three hours, waking up only to devour most of the snacks Hux had brought, as predicted, while watching some ridiculous Christmas movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger. The inflight meal had been pleasant enough, though Hux’s appetite was seriously impacted by the sheer ridiculousness of ‘Jingle All the Way’.

He’d ended up giving his half eaten meal to Kylo, watching in vague horror as the man wolfed it down along with his own and still managed to complain about being hungry afterwards. The man’s metabolism was truly a thing of legend.

Hux supposed it would be, what with the other man’s outrageous workout routine. While Hux himself stuck to his own daily routine of a few sets of pushups, crunches, and jumping jacks, the occasional morning jog, and light cardio, Ren tended to go for absolutely anything that could be counted as heavily physically stimulating; judo, kickboxing, weightlifting, rugby, and something he called Rage Yoga. 

There were many days when Hux would come home to see Kylo doing sets with his furniture while blasting heavy metal music. He tolerated it so long as it didn’t disturb him or their neighbours as it was quite an effective outlet for Ren’s anger. A little noise was no big deal when compared to holes being punched into his walls during Kylo’s tantrums.

Hux considered it nothing short of a blessing when they’d finally landed.

They made their way toward the designated pickup area, Ren carrying both of their bags as Hux typed a quick message to Phasma to tell her they’d made it there safely, his message immediately answered by a picture of Millicent curled around her favourite toy. 

He could almost feel the nerves radiating off of Ren as they walked through the bustling crowd. He knew he had to be tearing himself apart internally as the time for his dreaded reunion with his family grew closer and closer. 

At a groan from Kylo, he glanced up from his phone, following the other man’s suddenly irascible glare to a brunette girl bundled up in a heavy tan coat holding a sign that read:

‘Idiot and Mr. Hux.’

“Ah. That must be your sister,” Hux commented, Ren nodding shortly with a deep frown before trudging through the crowd to stop before the girl. 

“They sent you alone?” he snapped more than asked, his voice completely monotone and his shoulders hunched. 

“Hello to you, too,” she responded sarcastically, lowering the sign. “So nice to have you home.”

“When did you get old enough to drive?” Ren shot back, eyebrows furrowing. 

“When did you get old enough to grey?”

Hux tried his utmost to hold back his surprised snort at Rey’s sharp retort, covering it up with a cough as Kylo shot him a heated glare. 

“So you’re Hux. I’m Rey. It’s nice to finally meet you,” she greeted, holding out a hand which Hux shook with a nod. 

“You as well,” he replied courteously, placing his free hand on Ren’s shoulder and shooting him a semi-concerned glance. The other man seemed to unclench his jaw just slightly at the gesture. 

“Alright, let's get going. Mum’s already texted me seven times asking for updates and our ETA,” she said, motioning for them to follow her. 

The three of them exited the airport, Hux taking the chance to breathe in the fresh air. He had to admit, New York had its charm, but Washington was on an entirely different level. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen so many towering trees. 

They put their bags in the boot of Rey’s truck, both climbing into the backseat. Rey adjusted her own seat to rest further back, forcing Kylo’s legs into an uncomfortably scrunched position with a smirk. His brow furrowed in obvious frustration and he kicked once at the seat, but stayed otherwise silent, staring angrily out of the window. 

The car ride was mostly silent from then on, aside from the low volume indie music playing on the radio that Rey would occasionally start humming to. Hux took the time to finish any outstanding reports he had left, checking over each of them very carefully before sending them on to Phasma. 

After a while he began to feel something repeatedly hitting against his leg. His gaze left his phone screen, glancing down to see Ren’s leg bouncing anxiously as the man stared out the window, chewing on his fingernails. In his anxiety spell, he’d managed to chip the black nail polish off of all but two of his fingers. 

Without much consideration Hux reached out, taking his hand in his own and pulling it down to rest on his shaking leg to still it. 

“Don’t chew your nails,” he reprimanded absentmindedly. 

Ren’s cheeks flushed a very slight pink, the man evidently embarrassed at the correction as he turned his face away from Hux. 

For a moment he could’ve sworn he’d caught Rey’s gaze in the rearview mirror. He wrote it off as nothing as he continued to type out his memo with his free hand. 

He finished typing the very last word as the truck came to a gentle stop, sending his final draft to Phasma before locking and pocketing his phone. 

When he glanced out of the window, his jaw dropped, certainly not expecting the sight that greeted him. 

They had pulled up in front of what Hux immediately thought of as the most beautiful house he’d ever seen. The outside was breathtaking, smooth white brick with accents of gold, numerous decorative columns, and a roof top made of several domes in a pleasant light sea green shade. The garden in front of the house was immaculate, the walkway to the front door framed with rose bushes and a beautifully carved stone fountain resting just to the left.

Hux waited for Rey to exit the car, stopping Ren with a hand as he moved to follow her.

“Ren, what is that?” he asked. 

“That is my parent's house,” Ren answered sheepishly as he unfolded himself from the car, wincing as the blood flow returned to his legs. 

“Why the hell were you impressed by my apartment when this was your childhood home?” Hux hissed. 

Ren rolled his eyes, pulling away from Hux and exiting the car with only a slight wobble on his numb feet. Hux followed suite, trying to keep his shock at bay as he took his proffered bag from Rey and followed her up the stone walkway.

As they approached, the door was opened for them by an older looking gentleman in a suit.

“Master Ben, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Welcome home, Sir,” he greeted in a pleasant tone. 

“Thank you, Threepeo. Likewise,” Ren replied with a genuine smile. “Oh, this is Hux. Hux, this is C. Threepeo, my family’s butler. He’s been with us for three generations.”

Hux nodded in greeting, pasting on a smile even as his brain struggled to take in the waves of new information thrown at him. 

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Threepeo.”

“Oh the pleasure is all mine, Sir,” the old Englishman said kindly, taking the car keys Rey handed him as she passed with a smile. 

“If you will excuse me, Sirs,” he said with a bow of his balding head, hobbling past them to park Rey’s truck. 

Hux took in a deep breath through his nose as he walked, waiting until he was far enough away before grabbing Ren’s arm and pulling him closer to whisper to him. 

“Graciously waltzing past the fact that your family evidently has not only a huge beautiful house, but staff as well, why did he call you Ben?” he said just quietly enough for only Ren to hear. 

The other man sighed, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. 

“Because that’s my name,” he said simply, as if that revelation didn’t turn Hux’s entire world on its head. 

“Your name is… Ben,” Hux said slowly, his brain refusing to process that concept. 

“Yeah. I thought for sure you knew. Kylo Ren is the name I chose as my art alias. I didn’t want my work to be immediately associated with my mother. My real name is Ben Solo Organa.”

Hux was sure all of the blood had rushed from his face at those words. He took a moment to put together every single little surprise from the day; the easily procured last minute First Class tickets, the enormous and very beautiful home in the mountains, the butler, the name, and was shocked by the conclusion upon which he came. 

Kylo Ren, his roommate and close friend of five whole years who’d been virtually homeless when Hux had met him, working three jobs and living in a rundown hostel with more rats than occupants; his roommate who had had absolutely nothing when he’d moved in but a dufflebag full of cheap art supplies, second hand t-shirts, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts, who didn’t even know how to work a laundry machine,  _ that _ roommate was Ben Solo Organa, son of Senator Leia Organa.

He had no time to dwell on that insane revelation as the woman herself appeared in the doorway, Rey standing just behind her with a bored expression. 

“Ben,” she greeted with a radiant smile.

“Hey mom,” he said a bit timidly, dropping his bag, and almost kneeling to allow her to press a kiss to his forehead. 

“I swear you get taller every time I see you,” she said, squeezing her son tightly.

Hux shoved down his utter shock as she turned to face him once they’d parted. 

“Armitage. Ben has told me quite a lot about you,” she said, holding out her hand which Hux very gently took, bowing his head politely. 

“All good things I hope,” he said with a charming smile to cover his bewilderment. 

He spotted Rey rolling her eyes behind Leia, but steadfastly ignored her.

“Of course,” Leia replied, eyes shimmering with mirth; eyes that perfectly matched her sons. “Nothing but glowing reviews. He admires you quite a lot.”

“Mom,” Ren almost whined as he turned his face away, his cheeks colouring with a blush of embarrassment. 

Served him right. 

“You’ll have to excuse your father,” she said, turning back to Kylo. “He took Finn and Chewy out on the boat this afternoon and they seem to be taking their sweet time getting back.”

Hux watched as disappointment flashed across Kylo’s face before very quickly shifting to resignation. 

“That’s ok, mom. I didn’t exactly expect him to meet me at the door.”

Leia looked as if she wanted to say something, but hesitated, glancing to the ground with an almost weary look about her. Her smile returned as she spotted something over Hux’s shoulder. 

Hux turned around to see a man around his age with tanned skin, dark hair, and a charming smirk approaching with numerous grocery bags. 

“Ah, Poe! Thank you for getting those for me, sweetheart. You’re a godsend.”

Hux caught sight of the downward twitch of the corner of Kylo’s lips as he refused to turn to greet the other man, shoving his clenched fists into the pockets of his hoodie.

“It was really no problem, Mom! I’m happy to help,” Poe answered kindly as Rey stepped forward to take half of the bags from him, disappearing into the house. 

“Benny! I almost forgot you were coming today!” he said with a wide grin, not seeming to notice Ren’s shoulders tensing up as his eyes travelled to Hux, looking him up and down. 

“So this is Hux, huh? Poe Dameron Organa; nice to meet you,” he said with a wink.

Before Hux could answer, Poe walked past them into the house, calling back over his shoulder. 

“Pardon me. I’ve gotta get these groceries put away before the ice cream melts. Welcome back, Benny.”

“Thank you, dear,” Leia replied before turning back to Hux and a very stony faced Ren. 

“Why don’t we head inside instead of just standing around in the cold,” she suggested.

Hux followed Ren through the doorway as Poe disappeared into what he assumed was the kitchen, minorly concerned at just how tightly the other man’s jaw was clenched. 

He’d heard Kylo talk, or rather rant, about his adopted brother many times over the past few years. How he’d started off as just a friend of his that they had taken in after his parents were killed in an accident. It had been a good experience at first, like a prolonged sleepover. 

The problems had begun when Ren’s father had started to favour Poe’s company over his, taking him on hunting trips, teaching him how to repair cars, while Ren was left behind. 

Hux remembered very clearly when Ren had told him about his parents surprising Poe with signed custody papers on Ren’s twelfth birthday, which they proceeded to completely forget about in favour of taking their new son out to celebrate being officially part of the family. Evidently his mother had apologised thoroughly after the fact, taking him out just the two of them to spend the whole day together, but the damage had been done. 

Hux had been so angry for him, thinking about a young Kylo, alone and forgotten on what should’ve been  _ his _ special day. 

“Why don’t you two put away your bags and relax for a while. Threepeo will come up to get you when dinner is ready,” Leia said, placing a hand on Ren’s arm and smiling warmly.

“I’m so glad you decided to come home,” she added, squeezing his arm before stepping back. 

Ren forced a smile and nodded, picking up his dufflebag. He motioned for Hux to follow him, heading toward a staircase carpeted in sea green. Hux waved to Leia as he followed Ren up the stairs. 

“So…” he said the moment they were out of earshot. “Would you care to tell me what the fuck is going on?”

“What do you mean?” Ren replied, having the gaul to sound confused.

“Well to start, you never told me Senator Leia Organa was your mother!” Hux exclaimed, careful to keep his voice low enough that it didn’t echo as they continued to climb up another staircase. 

“You never asked,” Ren shot back simply, leading him to a door at the end of a hall with worn road signs and band logos tacked to it. 

Hux paused, his brow shooting up into his hairline at the realisation of just how true those words were. Five years of friendship, five years of Kylo living in his apartment, sharing his time and space, and he had never even asked for the other man’s last name. He knew very little of his past at all. He supposed he really hadn’t put much effort into their friendship; most definitely not as much as Ren had. 

Thinking back, he was almost certain he’d gotten Kylo a $100 gift card to an art supply store for every single one of his birthdays, while Kylo had gotten him very kind and well thought out gifts for all of his, always neatly wrapped in his favourite shade of red. Hux didn’t even know Kylo’s favourite colour. Their entire relationship for the past five years had been made up of Hux taking everything Kylo gave him and giving him hardly anything in return. 

“Hux?” Kylo said, his expression unsure and concerned as he placed a large hand on his shoulder.

Hux snapped out of his reverie, taking Ren by the shoulders with a deadly serious frown. 

“I need you to sit me down and tell me everything I don’t know.”

Kylo was silent for a moment before that roguish grin spread across his face. 

“That’s kind of a tall order, Hux. Maybe we should just start with everything you don’t know about  _ me _ .”

The following yelp of pain from Hux’s fist connecting with Kylo’s arm echoed down the hall. Hux didn’t care if the entire house heard it. 

………

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment if you’d like because I’m an attention whore who runs on the affirmation of others.
> 
> Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter <3
> 
> ~Cynical


	4. Chapter 4

“So, let me see if I have this right,” Hux started, steepling his fingers and resting them under his nose as he paced about Ren’s childhood bedroom. 

“You’re Ben Solo Organa, the son of Leia Organa, a United States Senator and United Nations Ambassador, and Han Solo, a retired Navy Captain turned mechanic. You had been accepted by and enrolled in Dartmouth College to study Aerospace Engineering, but dropped out and ran away from home at nineteen to go to _art college_ for a bachelor's in fine arts. You were homeless for two years of school, working three jobs to stay alive before you found your way to Maz Kanata’s Hostel, where you lived for two more years before Phasma and I found you.”

After a short thoughtful pause, Ren nodded. 

“Yep. That’s about it,” he said as he laid back on his bed, stretching out his legs with a yawn. 

Hux shook his head incredulously, batting away a boot clad foot as it blocked the path of his pacing. 

“Does Phasma know any of this?” he questioned, stopping to look at the other man. 

“Yeah,” Kylo said with a shrug. “She knows pretty much everything. Our first time meeting in person, we met up at a Denny’s in between your office and Maz’s Hostel at two in the morning and just talked for hours over pancakes. I’m surprised she didn’t tell you before I moved in.”

With a twinge of annoyance, Hux made a mental note to send Phasma an extremely long and painfully passive aggressive message later. He took a deep calming breath, letting his eyes wander the room for the first time since he’d walked in as an attempt to not strangle the other man in his childhood bed. 

The room wasn’t unlike Ren’s room back at their apartment, though this one was definitely much cleaner. Hux supposed it would be since Ren wasn’t there 24/7 to terrify the cleaning staff away from it when they tried to go in. 

The sheets on his bed were solid black, his duvet overtop made of thick red flannel that looked pleasantly warm. His headboard had slash marks and notches carved into it from some violent past tantrum, a common theme throughout the room he realised, glancing around the mess of worn emo and metal band posters not quite covering the patches of wall that were suspiciously discoloured with a coating of plaster.

“Tell me more about your family,” Hux finally spoke, moving to sit on the bed beside Ren. “What can I expect when we’re called down for dinner?”

Ren released a heavy, very telling sigh, bringing his arm up to rest on his forehead. 

“Well, you now know my mom; always busy, always travelling. She spent more than half the year in our home in Washington DC. She used to take me with her when I was a child, but she stopped when I reached school age. She knows she neglected me as a child and she’s trying her best to atone for it now; Dad, however.

“My dad was overseas until I was five, but he never spent much time at home either. He wanted to stay busy, so he and my Uncle Lando opened a mechanic shop. When I was ten he tried to get me interested in fixing up cars. It was the only bonding we really did…”

Ren trailed off a bit, a melancholic expression creasing his features.

“We took in Poe when I was ten. You know the story of his adoption. Rey came only a few years later when I was fourteen. They both work with my father in his shop. I’m told every time I come home that they’re both much better than I was at the job.”

Hux frowned deeply, his heart aching as he looked at Ren’s almost pained expression. He seemed to be carrying quite a lot on his shoulders and Hux felt for him. 

“Hey,” he said softly, reaching out and placing his hand on Kylo’s shoulder. “You don’t have to deal with them alone this time. I’m here for you.”

Hux’s heart fluttered at Ren’s warm smile, the sight lifting his own spirits. He may have had no idea what the impending family meal would bring, but in that moment he knew they’d get through it together. 

At that thought, a crisp knock sounded on the door. 

“Master Ben, Master Hux, dinner is ready,” C. Threepeo called. 

Hux and Ren shared a glance, both steeling themselves for what would surely be quite the battle. 

………

The tension in the air was so thick Hux was certain it could be cut with a knife. He and Ren were seated beside each other at the end of the large table, Poe and Leia to their right and Rey to their left with three empty seats beside her. Kylo picked at his salad, his leg bouncing slightly under the table with nervous energy. 

All eyes abruptly looked toward the entrance as the front door opened. A young man rushed into the dining room, already apologizing under his breath as he took the seat directly beside Rey, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. 

Following behind, Hux was rather startled to see an enormous dog with shaggy brown fur jump into the seat beside the new arrival, Threepeo placing a bowl of dog food on the table before the huge creature which he sat patiently and stared at as the third and final figure entered the room. 

He could feel Ren’s shoulders tensing beside him as the tall grey haired man who had to be Han took the seat at the other end of the table, patting the dog on its giant head. 

“Sorry we’re late. We took a bit of a detour,” the young man beside Rey addressed the table with a genuine smile. “It’s good to see you again, Ben. It’s been awhile.”

Hux’s brow furrowed just slightly as he watched Han glance up from the salad he’d immediately started in on, seeming to just now notice that there was something different about the group. 

“It’s good to see you too, Finn. Dad,” Kylo greeted, his jaw tight as he spoke. Before Hux could think better of it, he placed a reassuring hand on Ren’s knee beneath the table. The gesture was evidently the correct move as Ren relaxed just a bit under his touch, his shaking leg stilling for the first time since they’d taken their seats. 

“Armitage, this is my husband, Han,” Leia introduced after shooting Han a vaguely annoyed look for his tardiness. “And this is Finn, Rey’s fiancé. Han, Finn, this is Ben’s friend from New York, Armitage Hux.”

Hux took Finn’s offered handshake with a polite smile. The younger man seemed harmless enough, his grin bright and his eyes kind. Ren seemed to be more at ease with his presence than anyone else at the table aside from Hux himself. 

“It’s good to meet you,” he said, Hux saying something likewise in response. 

Han however said nothing in greeting, simply staring at Hux with a slight frown. 

Once again, it was Leia who broke the awkward silence, turning to Hux. 

“Ben has told us very little about you. What field do you work in?” she inquired. 

“I’m the Principal Defence Attorney at my law firm,” Hux stated, taking a sip from his wine glass. The sweet taste of the wine coated his tongue. He didn’t normally partake in sweet red, but he ignored the taste in favour of the calming effect. He figured he’d need it for the ensuing conversation.

“A lawyer. Of course,” came Han’s monotone reply from the other end of the table. Hux tried his utmost to keep his face passive and calm despite the obvious slight. 

Leia shot Han a glare, the man continuing to eat his salad as if he’d said nothing at all. 

“You must be very good to have gotten so far at such a young age,” she commented. Hux smiled pridefully at that. 

He knew for a fact that he was _very_ good at what he did. He hadn’t lost even one case in his seven years of practising, climbing the ranks at his firm much faster than anyone thought possible. He’d worked his entire life to prove those who doubted him wrong, and by the skin of his teeth, he’d certainly accomplished that. 

“I’d like to think so, though Ren constantly reminds me that _saying_ so is pretentious,” he answered, drawing a chuckle from Leia. 

“And Ben, how about you? How is work going?” she said, all eyes turning to Ren expectantly.

“Well…” he started, glancing toward Hux who gave him a subtle nod of encouragement. 

“Actually, I have my own workshop now. And more than a few regular buyers. A few people have even featured my artwork in-“

“Kid, we wanna know about your _career_ , not your hobby,” Han interrupted through a mouthful of lettuce. 

Hux couldn’t help the expression of shock that crossed his face at those harsh words, his hand on Ren’s leg squeezing just barely tighter as the occupants of the table glanced toward Ren. 

“Art _is_ my career, Dad,” Kylo stated, his hands clenching into fists in his lap as he struggled to keep face. 

Hux gripped Ren’s hand as Han huffed out a laugh, shaking his head as if his sons words were a joke to him.

“Kid, scribbles aren’t a career. Now, your brother here has a very promising career as a race car driver,” he started, nodding toward Poe who took on a confident posture, a smug smirk stretching across his face. 

“Your sister has just been accepted into Dartmouth College where she’ll be majoring in engineering. _She_ has a guaranteed career waiting for her the moment she graduates.”

Rey, in stark contrast to Poe, sank lower in her seat, looking entirely uncomfortable at her achievements being used in such a spiteful way. 

Hux had the distinct feeling that this was a recurring scenario; Han using his other children’s successes to diminish Ren’s simply because he didn’t see the value in them. 

Kylo looked as if he wanted to argue, but quickly shut his mouth as Han rounded off his lecture with one last blow to his confidence. 

“You should follow their examples and find a career path that will actually support you financially so you’re not living off of someone else’s money for the rest of your life.”

Hux’s jaw clenched at that, anger building as everyone at the table sat in utter silence aside from Han who took a long swig from his beer, evidently totally unaware of the atmosphere he’d thrown them into. 

“Well,” Hux spoke up, placing his hands on the table as he tried to keep his tone even. 

“If you had listened to your son for a bit longer, you would’ve known that his work has now been displayed in three different and rather prestigious art galleries back in New York, a feat quite impressive for someone his age. Additionally, he has a steady flow of income from numerous clients who praise his work very highly. By your standards, he is doing just fine.”

Hux took a long sip from his glass as everyone including the dog turned to him, varying expressions of surprise painting their faces.

“That’s amazing, Ben,” Finn said brightly as Threepeo walked around the table, taking away their salad bowls to replace them with their main course.

“Absolutely amazing,” Leia agreed, her head tilting as her eyes filled with affection. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.”

“Yeah. Glad to hear that you’ve gotten your shit together,” Poe added in a particularly snarky tone. “Maybe next time you come home, you’ll have a boyfriend to show for the first time since High School.”

Many feelings washed over Hux in that moment; aggravation at Poe’s careless joking words, anger at Han’s obvious look of disgust, sadness at Ren’s dejected expression he wasn’t quite able to hide at the jab. Having had enough not half an hour into this disaster of a trip, Hux made a split second decision he gave himself absolutely no time to second guess, placing his hand on Ren’s shoulder and leaning closer to him. 

“Actually, Ren and I have been dating for about a year now.”

The absolute chaos that had followed Hux’s revelation was something he was certain he’d not soon forget. Ren’s wine glass shattered in his grip at the same moment that Han and Poe spat their drinks into their laps in perfect unison. 

Finn just barely managed to catch Rey’s chair as she jerked backwards to try and avoid the stream of wine that crossed the table. Leia jumped up to grab a fistful of napkins as Threepeo very carefully cleared the glass from the table and floor around Ren, the red faced man apologising under his breath as he wiped his hands on his jeans. 

For his part, Hux stayed outwardly calm through it all, sending a glance toward Ren that he hoped got across his message of: _“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do.”_

“Well,” Leia said, lowering herself back into her seat as the situation was seemingly contained. “That is wonderful news!”

“Yes. Unbelievable,” Ren said with a tight smile, bringing a large hand down on Hux’s leg and squeezing hard. 

“Why didn’t we hear about this sooner?” Poe inquired with a suspicious intonation as he dabbed at his shirt with a wad of napkins. 

“Oh, we decided to keep it to ourselves until I could finally come down to meet everyone,” Hux answered seamlessly, fixing Poe with a challenging smile as if daring him to doubt his words. 

“How sweet!” Finn gushed, nudging Rey in the side as she opened her mouth to say something most probably snide. “How did it happen? I bet you two have a great story!”

Ren and Hux glanced toward each other in unison, Hux feeling the other man’s panic just as clearly as if it were his own. 

“We do. Don’t we, babe?”

It took physical effort not to cringe at that pet name, Hux pasting on a smile as he nodded. He racked his brain for a story, _any_ story, as all eyes turned to him expectantly. He settled on one relatively quickly, deciding to draw from a truth with only slight deviations to make it more believable.  
  
He could do this.

“Certainly,” he said. “It was Christmas of last year. I had taken the day off, something I rarely ever did, so that we could spend it together.”

“I was shocked you voluntarily stayed home. You’re such a workaholic,” Ren added, a warm smile overtaking his face that caught Hux rather off guard. He managed to shake off the surprise, continuing to speak with the ease and confidence he always displayed in a courtroom. 

“Quite honestly, I’d been attracted to him ever since he moved in, but it was that day that I’d finally decided five years of pining and agonizing over whether I should go for it or not was enough. So, when it came time to open gifts, I told him we’d need to go somewhere for mine.

“We went downstairs and climbed into the cab I had called. The ride was very brief since our destination was only a few blocks away.”

“When we got there, I was totally confused,” Ren continued for him, most everyone at the table, even Han, now leaning in to listen intently. 

“There we were, me in my ridiculous Christmas pyjamas and a coat, him in his nicely tailored clothes, shivering in the middle of the snow covered sidewalk. Before I could ask any questions, he held something out to me, dropping it in my hand. It was a key. 

“He looked me in the eye and said ‘I thought, seeing as you’re a professional artist now, you could use a space of your own to work in.’ And then he turned me around to look at the building we’d been standing in front of; a building I’d been eyeing up for my workshop for _six years_ , hoping against hope that no one would buy it before I’d managed to save up the money. I looked at the key in my hand and just started bawling.”

“I was startled. I thought I’d done something wrong,” Hux admitted truthfully, garnering a few chuckles from around the table. 

“But I very quickly reassured him that wasn’t the case,” Ren added, eyes locking onto Hux’s with a look of affection and warmth. “I grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him just as fresh snow started to fall. We’ve been together ever since.”

Hux smiled, basking in the glow of that affectionate gaze. Ren’s face seemed brighter, happier, and Hux found himself questioning whether or not this narrative, this version of the story, had actually happened. He felt as if he himself could remember this emotional kiss taking place; remember the sensation of Ren’s hands on his shoulders, pulling him closer as his soft, plump lips met his, tears from his face wetting Hux’s own cheeks as they refused to separate. He almost _wanted_ to believe in this version rather than the actual memory. 

“Oh, how romantic,” Leia said with an enchanted smile, breaking Hux out of his spell. He glanced away from Ren’s eyes, the truth of the situation and of what they’d just done hitting him like a sledgehammer. 

This would certainly make for an interesting Christmas. 

………

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I’ve been at my sisters place for a few days. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter!
> 
> ~Cynical


	5. Chapter 5

“What was _that_?! What did we just do?! We screwed ourselves!” Ren exclaimed as he paced about his bedroom similarly to how Hux had not hours before, positively radiating anxiety.

“We’re screwed, Hux. I'm going to be _crucified_ when my family finds out we lied to them! You know how bad I am at lying! I’m not going to be able to keep this up, especially not with my mother!”

“Shut up,” Hux insisted as he added a few final touches and completed what he’d been feverishly working on for the past few minutes, shoving his phone toward the other man.

“What is this? Is this a spreadsheet?! When did you have time to do this?” he questioned, fixing Hux with a look of utter and frantic confusion. 

“It’s an account of the timeline of our relationship; every date, every milestone, every detail. Mostly lifted from those horrid Hallmark movies you make me watch when you’re sad.”

Ren stared open mouthed for a long moment, his fingers pressed to his temples as if he couldn’t believe what was happening. 

“Are you a sociopath?” he spoke rhetorically, his dizzying pacing resuming. 

“Debatable,” Hux shot back, standing and firmly planting himself in Ren’s direct path, gripping his shoulders to halt his progress. 

“You’re making me nauseous with that pacing.”

“Oh, terribly sorry, Pumpkin Pie. I wouldn’t want my dear sweet Armitage to feel upset while I’m having a crisis now, would I?”

“Ren I’m _sorry_ , alright? I know I shouldn’t have done that. I just couldn’t stand how they were speaking to you,” he said honestly, looking to the ground with a heavy sigh. 

“You told me your home life was bad, but I never could have imagined this. And now I’ve made it worse.”

Ren frowned softly, his own hands slowly coming up to rest gently on Hux’s shoulders as well. 

“No. I… I’m sorry. I appreciate what you did. I just… I’m just worried.”

A moment of silence passed between them as Ren’s brown eyes flitted up to meet Hux’s green. He’d never noticed the flecks of gold in those dark depths. Ren quickly turned away, rubbing the back of his neck as he retreated a few steps. 

“But I suppose I shouldn’t be worried seeing as you have our entire lives planned out on a spreadsheet like an absolute psycho,” he joked. 

Hux’s lips quirked upwards at the return of their usual dynamic, reaching out and plucking up his phone. 

“Indeed. Now, before anything else, I would like to establish a few rules.”

Ren snorted, running his fingers through his hair as he attempted to come down from his anxiety attack.

”Only you can make something as spontaneous and unpredictable as romance rigid and planned out.”

Hux ignored him, raising three fingers to count down.

”No excessive public displays of affection, no kissing, and absolutely _no_ pet names.”

A smile spread across Ren’s lips. 

“Aw, Armie.”

“No,” Hux said bluntly. 

“Pumpkin?” he offered, eyes glimmering with mischief. “How about Gingersnap? Sugar? Babe?”

At that last one Hux’s entire face went bright red. Ren’s smile widened considerably and Hux knew he’d found the perfect nickname to absolutely drive Hux up the wall. 

“One more thing,” Hux said, shaking off his embarrassment as quickly as possible. 

“I will absolutely not be seen dating somebody dressed like a homeless hipster.”

“Homeless- Hey!” Ben said indignantly, looking over his paint stained hole riddled clothing with a discerning frown. 

“First thing tomorrow morning, I’m coming from my hotel to pick you up and we’re going shopping.”

Kylo groaned dramatically, flopping back onto the bed like the overgrown toddler he was. 

“Don’t throw a fit. You’re not getting out of this. You need new clothes, anyway,” Hux stated as he moved to pull on his coat, picking up his phone to check the reservation Leia had made for him. 

They both glanced up as a knock sounded on the door, Leia poking her head in a moment later. 

“Sorry to disturb you, boys. I wanted to let you know that I’ll be out on business almost all day tomorrow, so you’ll have free run of the house. Oh and Armitage, I took the liberty of cancelling your hotel reservation so you two wouldn’t have to be split up for the week. I’ll have Threepeo bring up some more blankets. I’m so happy for the both of you.” 

Hux felt as if all the air had been knocked out of him. He quickly covered his shocked reaction with a smile, turning to Leia. 

“How very kind of you,” he said, squeezing his phone far too tightly. Leia nodded with a bright smile, whispering a goodnight before closing the door. 

Hux took in a deep breath, turning to face a similarly distressed Ren as he dropped his grey peacoat on top of the dresser. 

“Well…” he said, his words only adding to the tense and awkward air that had settled in the room suddenly.

”I should’ve expected that.”

“It’s ok, Hux. I’ll take the floor,” Ren offered quickly, rising from the mattress. “Besides, you sleeping here will help keep up the illusion that we’re a… couple.”

Hux sighed resignedly and nodded, grabbing his suitcase and setting it on the bed as Ren set aside a pillow and blanket for himself on the floor. Hux’s brow shot up when he realised his case had already been unpacked, moving to the dresser and pulling open one of the drawers to see his neatly folded clothing inside. With another deep sigh he pulled out his pyjamas, making his way to the attached bathroom and closing the door behind him. 

He quickly went through the steps of his nighttime routine, the repetitive nature of it calming him immensely. 

He truly hadn’t meant to create such an odd situation. Han and Poe’s cruel and ignorant words had pushed him to a place of anger he’d only experienced when dealing with his own father as a teenager. It was no wonder Kylo was hesitant to go home when the household was so forcefully competitive. 

Hux pulled on his pyjamas quickly, walking back into the now darkened bedroom and setting his suitcase aside. He glanced down to Ren who was laying on the floor beside the bed, his clothes littering the ground beside his pillow. He pulled his blanket up to his chin, rolling on his side away from Hux as the other man climbed into bed. 

“Goodnight, Kylo,” Hux said. 

“Goodnight, _babe_.”

………

“Come on, Kylo,” Hux urged, tapping his foot impatiently as he motioned to the doorway of the shop they had been arguing in front of for a full two minutes now. 

“I said I don’t want to! Can’t we go to a thrift store or… literally anywhere else but here?”

Hux rolled his eyes, one hand coming up to his face, his thumb and middle finger rubbing his temples. 

“This shop is perfectly fine. Please go inside.”

“No! The last time I went into a store like this it was filled with condescending pricks who thought I was just there to steal their overpriced garbage!”

“Ren, people are staring. Please just get in the store and stop your whining,” Hux said exasperatedly. 

“I’m not whining,” the other man replied in a particularly whiny tone, crossing his arms tightly. Hux shot him a look and he wrinkled his nose in annoyance before yanking open the door and stomping inside. 

Hux followed behind him, breathing in the scent of expensive perfume in the air. 

They didn’t have to wait long before a good looking woman with sharp red nails approached them, glancing sideways at Ren before her eyes settled on Hux. 

“Welcome, Gentlemen. My name is Melissa. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Hux turned to the woman, pasting on a charming smile. 

“Indeed there is. We need some new clothing for him,” Hux said, motioning to Ren who stared determinedly at the floor, pink colouring his cheeks. 

“Well, I’m sure we can find a few things that will suit-“

“Oh, we intend to purchase much more than a few things,” Hux corrected casually. 

The woman’s red lips stretched into a smile as she turned to three other women watching them from behind the counter. 

“Ladies, we have some work to do,” she said cheerily. 

The four of them immediately set to work, one leading Hux to a lavish waiting area by the changing room while another went about measuring Ren. 

The tall dark haired man looked starkly out of place in the vibrant and expensive surroundings in his old leather jacket, holey sweater, and his worn and paint stained black jeans and boots. He somehow looked even more nervous than before as the women raced around him, dropping numerous pieces of clothing into his arms and pushing him toward one of the large changing rooms. 

Hux gratefully took the glass of champagne offered to him as the women worked on Ren, whipping out his phone to check his emails. He smiled at a large amount of Millicent pictures from Phasma, typing out a short reply to her most recent one showing the little ginger cat curled up in her girlfriend's lap. 

After a long while Hux glanced up at several different voiced reactions of approval, his fingers freezing over his phone screen as he spotted Ren. 

The man wore a well fitting deep red sweater under a solid black overcoat that came down to his midthigh. His trousers were gray plaid and fitted, highlighting the sheer length of his legs. His old boots had been switched out for a shiny new pair with vibrant red bottoms for a surprising pop of colour. 

Ren’s eyes met his. He looked less excruciatingly uncomfortable then he had when they’d walked in, though that wasn’t saying much. He quirked a brow and it was then that Hux realised he was being spoken to.

“I’m sorry?” he said politely, turning to face Melissa to see several shopping bags hanging from her arms. She smirked as if she knew something he didn’t, motioning for him to follow her to the counter. 

“We’ve picked out some very good options for him. Quite a few pieces that pair well with each other for some variety. I think you’ll be very pleased,” she said as she rang up each item. 

Hux handed her his card with a grateful nod, glancing back once again to search for Ren. His brow furrowed as the other man shifted uncomfortably at the attention from the women that surrounded him, more than a few of them openly flirting with him. 

Hux frowned and took his card back, grabbing the numerous shopping bags before making his way toward the other man and taking him by the hand. 

“Ready, darling?” he said, soaking up the shocked expressions of the surrounding women that had previously been ogling Ren. 

Kylo nodded wordlessly, taking a few bags from Hux as he followed him out of the store.

“I thought you said no pet names,” Kylo whispered as they loaded up the bags in the boot of the car Hux had rented. 

“I changed my mind,” Hux replied as he sat in the driver's seat. Ren gave him an odd look as he climbed into the passenger’s seat, immediately fiddling absently with the hem of his new sweater. 

Hux swatted at his hand before starting the car. 

“Don’t you dare stretch that knit. I just spent thousands of dollars of those clothes and I expect them to stay in good condition.”

From the corner of his eye he spotted Ren making a face and mouthing his words mockingly. He huffed a laugh as he pulled out of his parking space, looking back through the rear window as he went. 

Ren reached out to turn on the radio, the car immediately filling with the familiar tune of Santa Baby.

Hux’s hand immediately shot out, turning the radio off rather more aggressively than strictly necessary. 

“I will make you _walk_ home.”

………

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter, but I wanted to post something reasonably quickly for you guys. I hope you enjoy and sorry for the wait!
> 
> ~Cynical


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